Parameters of a 2.4 GHz wide band radio channel for WLAN applications

In the design, performance evaluation and installation of indoor radio communication systems, which require a continuous coverage and reliability, it is necessary to have an accurate characterization of the channel. The radio channel is inherently random, the effects on transmitted signals impact the overall performance of the system, producing severe fading and time dispersion; the time dispersion is a potential source of intersymbol interference, which yield errors in the receiver. In order to compensate these undesirable effects, by means an adequate receiver design, it is essential to know the attenuation and time dispersion statistics of the signal and, even better, the channel´s impulse response which is a full characterization of the channel. In this work we use a database which contains snapshots of the channel impulse response at several distances, obtained by computer simulation, using a statistical model, in order to determine the total multipath power gain and the rms delay spread. From these parameters we are able to evaluate the radio coverage, the base station optimum location, the interference and the maximum achievable data rate without requiring equalization in the receiver.